Mankind has, from prehistoric times to the present, fished both for sustenance and for pleasure. Throughout that interval, diverse devices have been developed to improve various different aspects of fishing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,142 entitled “Self-Destruct Fish Hook” discloses a fishhook that has a selected small anodic area of exposed steel, and a highly cathodic plating covering a much larger area of the fishhook's surface. When immersed in seawater, the resulting galvanic couple causes the small anodic area to corrode rapidly so the fishhook eventually breaks. In a preferred embodiment, a coating covers either the anodic area or the cathodic plating to delay the onset of corrosion at the anodic area. Thus, when immersed in seawater this preferred fishhook retains 100 percent of its mechanical strength for a substantial usage interval before the steel body begins corroding.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,808 entitled “Electro-Acoustical Fishing Lure” (“the '808 patent”) discloses that it has been long known that electrical pulses and sonic waves attract fish. It is also known that at least some fish, for example catfish, employ bioelectric detection in hunting their prey. FIG. 1 of the '800 patent depicts a lure having fluttering, electro-acoustical electrodes that are suspended parallel to a fixed electrode. The fluttering electrodes have one electrode potential while the fixed electrode has a different electrode potential. The fluttering electrodes are attached to the fixed electrode by an insulator fitting and rings.
Because the differing potentials between the fixed electrode and the fluttering electrodes when immersed in water electrolyte allegedly establish a voltaic cell, the '808 patent asserts that such electrodes separated both by the electrolyte and by the insulator fitting provide a fairly constant emf while delivering an electrical current to an outside load. Thus, upon drawing the lure through the water the fluttering electrodes discharge a momentary electrical current pulse when they collide with the fixed electrode. Collisions between either fluttering electrode and the fixed electrode also transmit an acoustical wave into the water concurrent with the alleged electrical current pulse discharge. Thus, the fishing lure disclosed in this patent allegedly simultaneously introduces both electrical pulses and sonic waves into the water.